Journalism is a constant changing profession. It is a forever growing and evolving industry. Author of Journalism Next, Mark Briggs takes us to the digital world in chapter one and calls journalists, “digital workers.” What does he mean by that? I think he means that in order to fully understand and use the Internet to our benefit Journalists must know the most basic facts about the Internet. They have to break down barriers of acronyms and jargon like MB and RSS in order to better understand how the Internet and technology work. Chapter one basically does just that; it breaks down acronyms and explains how the Internet works not just for journalist but also for everyone. Knowing how the Internet works I think is important because it can then be used as a tool to gather and disseminate information quickly. There’s a lot of valuable basic information that would otherwise be taken for granted in chapter one. For example, the fact that the World Wide Web is not synonymous with the Internet is interesting and also that the Internet Protocol address, also known as the IP address, is a unique numeric identity of a web server location. So, basically if the FBI wanted to find you they could just by looking at the IP address and locate that server and find you. Briggs goes on to discuss how web browsers work and how to customize your homepage with stories and information you choose. Chapter one is a good starting point because it introduces the vocabulary and explains the basics thoroughly.

“The great thing about a blog for an old-fashioned beat reporter like me is that it’s journalism at its core.” John Cook former business reporter and co-founder of GeekWire said that. Blogging can help journalists build a community that helps and collaborates with them. I agree with chapter two of JournalismNext blogging has forever changed the way that information is shared in our society. I like the idea of being able to update a blog constantly and writing it very much like a conversation, makes it easier to formulate my ideas and my thoughts flow easier. Blogs just seem right for journalists they’re simple, immediate and interactive. Blogs can be targeted to niche audiences and most importantly blogs can be about anything from motherhood to food to old age. Briggs takes your hand and walks you through starting your own blog. He walks you through choosing a blog system to naming your blog and then customizing your blog’s appearance. Personally I must admit that having my own blog didn’t interest me until I read chapter two of this book and realized that blogs are a fast and efficient way to spread information and I have the ability to voice my opinion. Some of my favorite blogs are Ring My Bell and Trop Rouge. Both blogs are fashion blogs but I like the creativity and the concept that clothes and accessories can be used as a form of art. These two chapters have given me a lot of useful information that will make it easier for me to understand the capabilities of the Internet and allow me to create a community that will interact with me. I did some research and found that thegardian was having master and beginner classes so why not take advantage of the opportunity! Also I found some really helpful sites like Wix.com and squarespace.com. Now squarespace is a little pricey but definitely worth the price, it’s one of the most professional templates and with all its cool templates it gives your blog a really professional look! I hope you enjoy!